Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-07
AN ASTRAL BODY

ssThis means death, sudden and inglor
ious,'' said Charlie Pettrie,'' despair
ingly, as he tossed to his companion in
arms document he had been porting over
as one determined to extract some differ
ent meaning than the words conveyed.
'What now?' questioned Frank John
son, yawningly, laying down his book.
''Has Belle Havedy given you the mitten,
war been declared in Europe, or the In
dams risen en- masse to reduce our mag
nificent army below even fighting con-
ditien?''
''Read and be enlightened and dis
gusted," and Pettrie arose and walked
the floor with bowed head and sadly
troubled face.
Picking up the official dispatch bearing
the legend and great seal of the war de-
partment, the young lieutenant hastily
mastered the contents. Then his light
manner changed, his usually merry eyes
became saddened, and he answered slowly
and impresSively:
"Our death warrant, sure enough! This
far northern fort is at least healthy, and
to be transferred to the extreme south
leaves nothing Of hope
Especially at this season. / can't i'm
agine what the powers that be were think
ing about when they promulgated such an
order"
Evidently not Of the precious health of
Lieutenants Pettrie and Johnson" was
the dry response.
Life has not been the most pleasant
here, cut Off from home and civilization
by cold and snow for nearly six months in
the year, and Indians are not the most
peaceable of neighbOrs, continued the Of
ficer, musingly.
''Yet l would sooner fight all the tribes
combined than the enemy we will have to
meet, who single handed, can discount
them when it comes to wholesale slaughter,
and never gives one a chance to strike
back
''You mean the yellow fever?''
eyes,
''The very thing I was thinking of, and
going from northern to a southern lati-
tude just as summer is fiinging open its
furnace gates to invite its approach"
"True, but we have nothing to do but
obey-hum-the first duty of soldier, as
we have been forcibly taught
"And there is some comfort in the fact
that we are to 60 together"
"And haven't any wife or children to
mourn for u.s.
''Better so; in fact, soldier has no
right to marry. No, nor wife nor children;
but yet we will be remembered, for both
of us, like the soldier of the Legion who
mourned for fair Bingen on the Rhine,
have held little hand tenderly and con-
fidingly and dreamed brighter dreams Of
that what might be-"
eyes" bitterly; ''and as all the sweet
mingled with the bitter of the cup is our
non separation, we must be more to each
other than ever before-muSt swear fealty
to the end of our earthly career'
"Hand and glove I am with you; and
should one die before the other, the sur
vivOr must execute any last wishes or
commissions, or have blighting curse
follow him all the remainder of his days. F"
The oath, taken upon their swords, was
solemn one. Both realized its meaning
to the full, and shuddered as they thought
how very near the time might be when
they would be called upon to fulfill its
sacred obligations. With sad and heavy
hearts they babe farewell to their COM
panions and turned their faces southwark,
following the drum tap of duty and nerv-
ing themselves to meet bravely whatever
should come.
For time the depressing premonitions
were banished from their minds in new
scenes and new associations. Everything
of their surroundings had the attraction
of freshness and novelty to them. Never
before had they known anything of Span
ish life. It was great change to pass,
and so quickly, from the giant forest, the
huge rock builded mountains, the wide
prairies, to the quantity constructed town,
the coquina walls, the perfume Of the
orange and jasmine, the shade of the pal
metto and pride of India trees, from icy
winds to tropical softness, from the almost
responsiveness of Indian women to the
witching, dreamy loneliness of the dark,
almond eyed daughters Of the land of
flowers; to turn from the sterility of ma
| ture and watch the ocean amorously kiss
ing the sands and purring contentedly and
slumberOusly.
Their duties were light and before the
sensuousness of sky and blossom had time
to pail upon them new sensation came
terrible in its contemplation and deadly
in its contamination. From strolling
upon the wharf and along the sea wall,
from flirting with the graceful and will
ing to be fiattered beauties, they rambled
to feast their eyes upon the wilderness
bloom of the Cherokee rose, the verdure
| of magnolia and myrtle, the flaming bells
of the trumpet flower, the unalloyed gold
OF Inc jasmine, the creamy white of the
orange, and drink in the intoxicating per-
fume of all; TO taste Of the freshly
plucked scuppernong and dream waking
dreams of a fair face that rarely deserted
them by day or night
As if with the irony of fate the hideous
serpents Of doom crept into this glorious
Eden when their hearts were the most
sensitive to love and their longings for its
fulfillment the most powerful By their
side IS they lay couched upon, pillowed
and canopied by flowers physician
paused and told the most i'll, omened of
news.
''The yellow fever has come and is I'M
commonly virulent. All who can are pre-
pairing to make a hasty fitting. l would
to heaven l could be Of the number, but
duty chains me here
''As it does Us, answered Pettrie. and
he looked ct his friend and both thought
of their oath.
Days of the most terrible anxiety fol-
lowed. The foe was one against which
no picket guard could be stationed,
against which sword and bayonet, in
fantry and artillery were alike impotent.
In the sun of monday and the. blackness
of midnight it walked unseen, unwarning
and resistless. Its breath was noisome
and its kiss death. Against it proud
uniform and brilliant buttons were of no
more avail than the rags Of the poorest.
1t cared nothing for honors or for name,
and its poison festered the same within
the veins of the courted and the despised.
The cry of ''to the north, TO the u1ofnt-